Why Forests Matter

We All Need Forests to Live

People depend on forests to live. They filter the water we drink and the air we breathe. Worldwide, 1.6 billion people rely on forests for their livelihoods, including food, clothing, or shelter.

Forests are home to nearly half of the world's species, including some of the most endangered birds and mammals, such as orangutans, gorillas, pandas, Northern Spotted Owls and Marbled Murrelets.

Deforestation and forest destruction is the second leading cause of carbon pollution, causing 20% of total greenhouse gas emissions.

In the US, much of our forestland is private. If landowners can’t earn a living from these forests, they will inevitably cut them down for farms, ranches or real estate development. While total acreage of forests in the US remains relatively stable, certain parts of the country are seeing declining forest coverage. For example, the US Forest Service estimates 12 million acres of forest in the Southeast will be lost to suburban real estate development between 1992 - 2020.

By creating demand for products from responsibly managed forests, FSC is helping protect forests for future generations. In fact, today, more than 40,000 American family forest owners are FSC certified. When we purchase products with the FSC logo, we are saying to the landowner, “thank you for taking care of your forest.”